Detachable loader unit for trucks and tractors



April 1, 1947.'

J. P. GRABSKE DETACHABLE LOADER UNIT FOR TRUCKS AND TRACTORS 3 Sheets-Sheetl 1 Filed March 26. 1945 Patented Apr. l, 1947 DETACHABLE LOADER UNIT FOR TRUCKS AND TRACTORS John l. Grabske, Cudahy, Wis.

Application March 26, 1945, Serial No. 584,815

13 claims. l

My invention relates to improvements in detachable loader units for trucks and tractors, with particular reference to loader units of a type designed to operate loading devices at the front end of a vehicle.

A primary object of my invention is to provide a simple, sturdy and easily operable loader unit of the above mentioned type which can be quickly and easily attached to -or detached from any ordinary farm tractor and used for digging. hoisting, loading, and other purposes in and about a farm or elsewhere.

Further objects are to provide a structure of the described type in which side sway will be eliminated and stability and safety promoted, with increased efllciency in operation, low head room, reduced interference with the visibility of the operator, proper distribution of load on the supporting vehicle, and capability of a wider range of usefulness than any structure known to the prior art.

A further object is to provide improved means whereby the resistance to `the operation of a shovel or scraper is utilized to increase the load on the traction wheels of the supporting vehicle, whereby its pushing power is increased.

Further objects will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention showing the same applied to an ordinary farm tractor, one wheel of the tractor being removed to fully expose the detachable frame of my improved unit.

Figure 2 is a front elevation, with the loading shovel partially broken away and raised to the position which it occupies when being transported.

Figure 3 is a rear elevation.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing the shovel and associated parts as it appears when used as a crane.

Figure 5 is a sectional view drawn-to line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 isa plan view, with one of the side arms and the cross tie partially broken away.

Like parts are identied by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

vAs shown in Figure 1, my improved unit is provided with a supporting frame having triangular sides composed of a base bar I0, provided with an upright Il at its rear end, the upper portion of which is connected with the front end of the base bar by an oblique brace I2. 'Ihe uprights of the two side portions are cross-connected by upper and lower cross bars -l4 and I5, with gussets I6 in the respective corners. All oi these parts are rigidly connected or welded together to form a unitary structure of great strength and resistance to-torsional stress, as well as to vertical, horizontal or lateral pressures. The top flange of the base bar I0 is cut away at yits front end to allow the bar l2 to be welded to the vertical web of said bar l0.

As indicated in Figure 1, the front ends of the base bar l0 and the oblique bar I2 are mounted on a connecting bracketl I1 to which the bars are welded, and which in turn is secured to the tractorbody by bolts l-8. The rear end portions of the base bars I0 are supported from the load bearing axle 20 of the tractor with resilient cushlower flanges of the bar I0 and welded thereto,

as best indicated at 26 in Figure 1.

The radiator guard 30 is mounted on a bracket 3| connected with the tractor body in any suitable manner (not shown), and the upper, corners of this guard are connected with the oblique bars l2 by links 32. The bracket 3| may be left permanently connected with the tractor body but all the other parts of my improved unit may be removed by simply removing the bolts I8 and the nuts 25, whereupon the frame of the unit, in.. cluding the radiator guard 3|),` may be lifted and withdrawn from the tractor.

It will be noted in Figure 1 that the rear end of my improved frame is disposed slightly to the rear of the tractor seat 35, whereby, except when a load is being lifted, an operator seated at 35 may have substantially as clear a view over the frontend of the tractor as 'he may have when the loader unit is removed. This view is only momentarily interfered with by the operating mechanismA during a load lifting operation.

A pivot shaft 38 is supported by the upper ends of the frame bars Il, and shovel operating side arms have rear end portions 40 pivoted to said shaft 38. The front ends of these portions 40 are cross-connected at 4l, beyond which the shovel operating arms have oblique extensions 42, elbowed at 43, with terminal portions 44 which .Figure 1.

occupy substantially a vertical position when the parts are adjusted as shown in Figure 1.

A lifting bucket 45 has rear walls 45 provided with ear-shaped brackets 41 which are pivoted at 48 to the arm portions 44, as bestshown in The upper ends of the arm portions 44 are cross-connected by a channel bar 50, (Figure 4), and the central portion of this channel bar is provided with ear-shaped brackets 5l in which apivot pin 52 is journaled. A latch arm 53 is ilxedly secured to the pivot pin 52 and provided with a hook-shaped extremity 54 adapted vto engage over the rear upper margin 55 of the rear wall of the bucket.

When the bucket is in its Figure 4. position, its rear wall is substantially parallel with the lifting arm portions 44, reenforcing bar 55 being substantially in contact therewith. When the bucket is in the dumping position as shown by dotted lines in Figure 1, it will automatically be swung to loading position on contact with the ground. In moving to loading position, the oblique supper surface of the bar 55 lifts hook 54 and allows it to drop to latching position, the hook having been held in position for engagement by the .bar 55 by a stop 51 on the latch arm 53.

forcing bar 55 by coiled tension springs 5| and f chains 52. These connections limit the downward movement of the bucket when it swings downwardly to dumping position, and the springs cushion. the shock when the swinging'motion of the bucket is arrested.

To dump the bucket, it is,- of course, necessary y to retract the latch hook 54 from the upper margin of the rear wall of the bucket, and to enable the operator to do this from the drivers seat hold l13, whereby the operator can' retract the latch by pulling downwardly on the hand hold 13. When the bucket'again swings downwardly. contact of its lower margin with any obstruction will automatically cause it to swing back to load g receivingand relatched position as above explained.

' The bucket operating arms are lifted .and lowered by a pair of hydraulic :lacks 15, each of which has its lower end `pivoted at\ to ear-shaped brackets 11 on Aone of the base bars l0 of the unit lsupporting frame. Power liquid may be delivered to either end of this jack and exhausted from the other end through a valve chamber 80,

having its valve Vcontrolled by 'an operating handle 8|. Flexible tubes 82 and-lead from the valve chamber to the respective ends vof the jacks.

All ordinary tractors are provided with an engine driven shaft similar to that indicated at 85, whereby the tractor motor may be used to.. drive other mechanisms. This shaft may be used to drive a pump at 05 through pulley 81, belts 88,

pulley 09 and shaft l0. whereby the pump may draw liquid from a storage tank 0| lthrough pipe 02 and deliver it through pipe 03 to the valve chamber. An exhaust pipe I4 leads from the valve chamber back to the storage tank.

$0 Near the elbows 43 the operating arms are provided with laterally extending brackets 50 which are connected to the respective ends of the reen- The plunger 95 of each hydraulic jack is pivotally connected at vlili to the portion 40 of its associated operating arm, whereby said arm may be lifted, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1. The cylinders of the hydraulic jacks 15 and their plungers 95 are preferably located directly underneath their associated arm sections 40, this/ being permitted by offsetting the diagonal brace i2, as best indicated at 99 in Figure 6. The storage tank 9| may be mounted ona bracket 91 connected with the base bar I0 of the unit frame, and the Dump 85 may be mounted on an exten- Asion 90 of the bracket |1, whereby, whenthe unit frame is to be removed from the tractor, the shaft 90 may be uncoupled at |00'and the pump y56 and storage tank or chamber 9I removed with the unit frame. i

4In order to permit use of the hydraulically operated arms as a hoist or crane, I provide the latch arm v53 with an auxiliary hook |04 adapted to engage a ring |05 connected with a chain |05 which carries a'hoisting hook |01. The chain |05 runs over ther forward margin of the bottom |08 of the bucket and to avoid injury to the bucket I interpose a removable block |09 having a slot or recess H0, within which the plowing edge of the bucket may be engaged. When not in use, this block, with the chain |05 and hook |01, will be removed and stored on the tractor. The arm portions 40, 42 and 44 preferably have the form of I-beams, with wide top and bottom flanges, connected for at least a portion of their length by Welded plates ||2 which convert these beams into box-beams with three vertical walls, as best shown in Figure 5. This, coupled with the reenforcement of the posts of the triangular unit frame by the gussets i5 provides a structure ofv great rigidity and resistanceto side sway.v

Tendency to side sway in the loading devices heretofore constructed has presented an exceedingly diillcult problem which has been solved in the. structure hereby disclosed, not only by the described reenforcements and the character of the beams employed, but by the connection of the 45 unit frame withthe tractor, whereby the body and axle of the tractor add to the stability of the unit. x Also, by mounting the pivot shaft 38 in the rearof the operators seat and only a little below #0 his line of vision, and by downwardly inclining the portions 42 of the lifting arms, the following important results are accomplished.

When filling the'bucket by pushing it forwardly into material to be lifted, the backward thrust of the lifting armsshifts nearly the entire load of the tractor to the rear axles, the posts of .the triangular frame having suilicient leverage for this purpose. Also. since the portions 40 of thelifting arms 00 are then in substantially a horizontal position substantially at the level oi' the neck or shoulder of a person occupying seat 35. the driver can view the operation of the bucket and can steer the present thereon.

When lifting the bucket, the vision of the 0D- erator will be only momentarily obstructed, while the cross connections of the lifting arms, and also ythe bucket itself, are ,passing his line of sight.` 7o 'I'he dumping of the bucket is also in 4full view of the operator.

By making the sides of the shovel operating unit in the form of a right angled triangle with an elongated base securely anchored to the l5 tractor body and the forward apex. the frame is s e given greatpushing power and resistance to the chain,4 whereby said loader unit may be used strains imposed when lifting a loaded bucket. either as a lifting shovel or as a crane.

I claim:

6. In a loader unit as'set forth in claim t5, means 1. A detachable loader unit for power driven for protecting the edge of the bucket from dami vehicles, having in combination a supporting 5 age by said chainwhen the unit is' being used frame, each side of which comprises a member as acrane.

having the general form of a'right angled triangle 7. A removable loader unit for power vdriven with its base mounted on, and detachably secured vehicles, comprising an upright rectangular frame to, the rear load bearing axle, and its forward .composed of channel bars welded together and apexalso detachably clamped to the vehicle l0 having welded gussets at the corners, forwardly frame in the rear of the front wheels, the upextending I beams at the base of the frame,

right members of each side of` said frame being channel bar braces connecting the forward ends Y located in the rear of the load bearing axle. ofthe I beams with the top of the frame and bucketlifting arms pivoted to said upright porwelded thereto, said I beams being spaced to tionsof the frame4 and extending forwardly below 15 straddle the body between the rear wheels and the field of, vision of the operator, arm lifting provided with means for detachably connecting means connected with the base members adtheirrear ends with said rear axle and their jacent to and in front of said rear axle. a bucket front ends with a vehicle frame between :its axles, pivoted to said arms in front of the vehicle. latch bucket supporting lifting arms pivotally conmeans for normally holding the bucket in load nected with theupper portions of said frame and receiving position, and meansoperable from the extending forwardly above the respective I beams, drivers seat for releasing the latch. and lifting jacks pivotally connected with the I 2. The combination set forth in claim 1, includ-` beams in front of and adjacent to their axle ing a set of hydraulic jacks each pivotally mountconnections and having forwardly and -upwardly ed on the base of one of said triangular members g5 extending plungers pivotally connected lwith the and operatively connected with said lifting arms l lifting arms, said lifting arms extending for. f

and normally in substantial alignment with the wardly below the horizontal plane of vision of an rear axle, a storage tank and pump, and a pump operatoren the vehicle and having elbowed front operating shaft adapted to be detachably conend portions extending abruptly downwardly in nected with the vehicle motor. front of the vehicle, a lifting bucket having the 3. A detachable loader unit for power driven lower portion of its rear wall pivotally connected vehicles, having, in combination, a supporting with 4said downwardly extending arm portions, frame, each side of which comprises a member latch means for connecting the upper margin to having the general form of a right angled triangle said arm portions, and means' for releasing the with its base mounted on, and detachably secured latch from a point of remote control, said downto, the rear load bearing axle, and its forward wardly extending portions of the lifting arms apex seated in 'a cup-shaped bracket also debeing adapted to rigidly support the rear wall tachably clamped to the vehicle frame rearwardly of the bucket during shoveling .operations 4and to of the frontV axle, the upright members of each transmit the counter pressure and load to the triangular side of said frame being located in the- 40 rear axle of the vehicle through said frame during rear of the rear axle and extending to a substanloading operations and through the jacks and tial distance above the seat level. bucket lifting frame during lifting operations. arms pivoted to said upright portions of the 8. In a shovel operating loader of the described frame and extending forwardly therefrom below class, a set of hydraulically operated lifting arms the operators horizontal plane of vision, hyprovided with means for pivotally supporting draulic jacks each pivtoally mounted on the base them from the rear portion of a vehicle, each of of one of-said triangular frame members in front said arms being integral throughout its length of and adjacent to said rear axle and in a vertical and having its front endV portions extending plane which includes said base member and the abruptly downwardly in front of the vehicle, in

'associated lifting arm, each jack having aplunger 50 combination with a grab bucket having a, rear `pivotally connected with such arm, a bucket havwall normally substantially parallel with said ing a rear wall pivoted to said arms in front of downwardly extending arm portions and having the vehicle, latch means for normally holding its lower marginal portion vpivotally connected the bucket in load receiving position, and means, therewith and its upper marginal portion in latch operable from the driver's seat. for releasing the 55 connection therewith marginal portion having a latch. reenforcing bar positioned for bearing contact on 4. The combination set forth in claim 3, includsaid arms whereby said arms are adapted to push lng resmently yielding flexible connections bewith substantially equal pressure against the top tween the lifting arms and the bucket. adapted and bottom portions of the bucket during a loadto limit the dumping movement of the bucket i113 Operationabout its pivetn connections. and hold it in a. .A 9 A loader as set forth in claim 8 in which the posit-lian to automatically return 'to posi- I arms are of rectangular cross Section,

tion when lowered into contact with-an obstruc` -top and bottom Wal-S connected by three' spaced non lvertical walls constituting a deep beam of great 5. In e detachable leader una; for motor driven Strength and rigidity and reslstan-2-ide1wy vehicles, the combination withlifting mechanism lo' A detachable loader mit 'forwpower driven shaped laici v.means for holding the bucket in of a pivotally supported dumping bucket noch vehicles, including the combination of a supportwith the rear axle an engine block of an ordinary load receiving' Psitm an amm 110* 0 'zo vehicle provided with an internal combustion said latch. a load lifting 2118111 adapted v t0- bev motor and provided with upright members in the engaged With the auxiliary hOOk and t0 4extend rear o'f said axle, bucket lifting arms pivoted tov over the front edge of the bucket toa depending said upright members and extending forwardly position beyond the bucket, and a load 6118881118 below the horizontal plane of vision of the operhook connected with the dependingend of said 75 ator of the vehicle. and arm lifting means coning frame adapted to be detachably connected nected with the baseI of the frame. immediately i in front of said axle connections, whereby the load imposed on the vehicle by the bucket may be -transmitted through said arms to said axle and substantially' balanced over the axle during a rigidly connecting the rear ends of said I beams,

obliquely disposed channel bars rigidly connecting the upper portions of said frame with the forward ends of the I beams, and bucket lifting arms pivotally connected with the upper portions of said channel bar frame, said lifting arms having Yelbowed down-turned front endsradap'ted for pushing engagement with the upper and lower margins of a lifting bucket and comprising hollow members having top and bottom walls and three spaced connecting walls in vertical planes, whereby to produce a non-swaying structure of great lpushing strength and rigidity in proportion to its weight. 12. Ina non-swaying loader unit of the de.

scribed class, a set of elbowed pushing andlifting arms, each comprising an I beam provided withV welded side wall plates parallel with its central web and spaced therefrom.

13. In a loader unit of the described class, a set of lifting arms pivotally supported at their rear ends and having front ends abruptly downturned, a grab bucket having the lower portion of its rear Wall pivotally connected with the lower ends of said arms, ari angle ironreenforcement for the upper portion of the rear wall of the* bucket having one flange extending downwardly and rearwardly from the margin of said portion,

and hook-shaped latches carried by said arms in position to be automatically lifted by said inclined flange over the margin of the bucket wall to lock the same with its said reenforcement in contact with said arms for a bucket filling and lifting operation when the bucket is dropped to the ground after a dumping operation. y

` JOHN P. GRABSKE.`

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,295,917 Schwan Sept. 15, 1942 2,319,921 Dooley et a1 May 25, 1943 2,371,273 Walker Mar, 13, 1945 2,348,899 h Guignard et al May 16, 1944 2,345,620 Mork Apr. 4, 1944 2,304,443 Butler Dec. 8, 1942 2,349,335 Baldwin May 23, 1944 1,249,035 Crosby Dec. 4, 1917 2,268,689 Andrus Jan. 6, 1942 2,310,284 Gurries Feb. 9, 1943 2,389,029 Crabtree Nov. 13, 1945 1,848,979 Stover et al Mar. 8, 1932 

